Jenni's Challenge (A-Z title challenge mixed with 7 classics)

[Jen]

A-Z Title Challenge (October 2008 - October 2009)

A - Autobiography of a Yogi - 10/08
-American Rifle: A Biography - 10/08
- The Agency - 12/08
- Anna Karenina - currently reading
B - Brisingr - 10/08
-The Book Thief - 2/09
C - The Count of Monte Cristo - 2/09
D - Darkly Dreaming Dexter - 12/08
- Dracula
E - Ender's Game
F - FireDrakes - 1/09
- Fahrenheit 451 or Fanny Hill
G - The Gargoyle - currently reading
- The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - currently reading
- Gone With the Wind
H - House of Leaves - 10/08
- Heaven's Net Is Wide - 11/08
I - In the Woods
J - Jane Eyre
K - The Kite Runner
L - A Lion Among Men: Volume Three in the Wicked Years - 11/08
M - The Mermaid Chair
N - New Moon - 11/08
- The Neverending Story
O - Out - 2/09
- Oliver Twist
P - A Pebble To Polish - 12/08
- The Princess Bride
Q - Quicksilver (ideas welcome!)
R - Ruins Metropolis (collection of short stories) - 10/08
- The Red Siren Charles Towne Belle Series, Book 1 - 2/09
S - The Secret Life of Bees - 11/08
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - 11/08
- The Story of Edgar Sawtelle: A Novel - 1/09
- Set Phasers to Stun
T - A Thousand Splendid Suns - 11/08
- Twilight - 11/08
- The Tales of Beedle the Bard - currently reading
U - Undead and Unwed (other ideas welcome!)
V - Voices Under Berlin: The Tale of a Monterey Mary - 11/08
- Veronika Decides to Die
W - Wuthering Heights
X - Xenocide
Y - Yakuza Diary (or The Yiddish Policeman's Union)
Z - The Zookeepers Wife or Zeno's Conscience (other ideas welcome!)

I've read or am currently reading the book if it links to the Goodreads page for the book. :) There's also a date next to the book if I've read it. :)

[Jen]

Seven Classics

1. Dracula
2. Jane Eyre
3. Gone With the Wind
4. Wuthering Heights
5. At the Mountains of Madness
6. The Count of Monte Cristo - 2/09
7. Oliver Twist
8. Anna Karenina

That's more than seven, but I can't resist. :)

[Jen]

A Lion Among Men: Volume Three in the Wicked Years

Near the end the book really starts to get good and becomes hard to put down. Working up to the last 100 pages took a little motivation. I'm curious to see if Maguire will write any more Oz books.

[Jen]

Twilight, New Moon

I read both books in just a few days. While it was a nice change of pace, I need a break before continuing with the last two books. I must say, I would love to meet Edward! I am going to have to go see the movie, but my husband would never go with me...

[Jen]

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

An interesting read. Covey's book contains common sense habits to live by to be more effective in family and work life. The stories and examples contained in the book help make it real.

[Jen]

Darkly Dreaming Dexter

I have to say that I found out about the TV series and fell in love with it before I read the book. The book is even better than the TV series. A great question is raised in this book - is Dexter a bad guy if the only people he kills are killers themselves?

[Jen]

A Pebble To Polish

I actually put aside other books to read this one. The story of Cassie and her autistic son, Brian, is a wonderfully easy read. At the same time, the reader learns a lot about autism through Cassie's interaction with Brian's doctors and the support group that she joins. The story has shown me a new way to cherish the two wonderful children that I've been blessed with. :)

[Jen]

The Agency

It took about the first 100 pages to really get involved in the story, but once I hit page 100, I was hooked and couldn't put the book down. Tess is such an incredibly strange but lovable person, I couldn't help but root for her. The villains were partially predictable. I knew that the fur coat was going to be used against her, but I have to admit I wasn't sure how until it actually happened.

[Jen]

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle: A Novel

I'm not sure what to think of the book yet. I read a review of a fellow Goodreads member who said that they were torn between giving the book a five star rating and a one star rating. I'm much the same for the same reasons. Parts of the book are so great and so perfectly written. Other parts of the book (like the ending) felt rushed and completely opposite from what they should have been. The ending left me hanging and felt very unfinished.

[Jen]

The Count of Monte Cristo

I loved this book! I do wish I would have had time to read more than just a few pages at a time. The best book I've read so far this year!

[Jen]

The Book Thief

This book was amazing! It is so neat to read a fictional story set in Nazi Germany that isn't told from the perspective of a Jewish person. The story is well written, engrossing, addictive, and so many other things. :) My daughter will be encouraged to read this book when she's old enough.

My only questions is why is this book is considered young adult?

[Jen]

Out

This is the first crime fiction book that I've read in quite a while, and it's the first Japanese crime fiction book that I've ever read. I want to give the book five stars as it is really well written, and quite interesting. I'm giving it three stars as I'm not a big fan of reading books that include rape scenes, though I do understand why it was included. I must say that I love how the book ended! :)